


you wondrous creature

by Joiedevivre



Series: to make you stay [1]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: I don't know what this is I need help, M/M, Noct is in charge, Topping from the Bottom, also I'm sorry I didn't mean to make a blind joke, chapter 4 is lit fam, everything is ignoct and everything hurts, it kinda got away from me, this fic needs a new summary but what are you gonna do, this game is ruining my life
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-18
Updated: 2016-12-30
Packaged: 2018-09-09 12:30:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,299
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8890771
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Joiedevivre/pseuds/Joiedevivre
Summary: In which Noctis is young, hedonistic, and apparently oblivious, and Ignis is simply devoted.[Chapter 5 posted]





	1. Chapter 1

\-----  
The first time it happened, Ignis never saw it coming at all. He should have, he scolded himself later, but in truth, in such a matter as this, he had a blind spot miles wide. Noctis was a rogue - perhaps 'brat' might be a better word, but he wasn't really. He could be a little careless, a little selfish, and more than a little lazy, but he was not cruel, and he was far from totally inconsiderate of others. He was simply spoilt, and thank Etro for his good nature, for spoiling a boy of lesser character would have sent him to ruin. Not so Noctis. 

Ignis realized he was staring and moved his gaze back to his notebook. He could watch his royal charge for hours, but it wouldn't do to be caught in the act. Noctis was oblivious, however, legs curled up on the sofa (dirty shoes scraping the fabric, Ignis noted with vexation), head tilted back as he dozed off. Unfinished studies lay neglected on the table before him. Ignis cleared his throat, not loudly, just enough to rouse the prince. 

"You'll be about that all day if you don't finish it off soon," he admonished, expecting the answering groan that didn't fail to deliver. 

"I'm bored with it," Noctis shook his head, and Ignis' eyes automatically tracked the long strands of the fringe of his hair playing across his high cheekbones. Distracting. Everything about Noctis was distracting, and Ignis felt a daily struggle to keep his focus on his duties. He supposed it helped that the younger man was in essence his primary duty. He shut his notebook with a light snap and put the pen away. "Perhaps we can find a way to make it interesting," he suggested. The reports were important, and if he could find a way to engage Noct, it would be over all the sooner. 

Noct replied with a cheeky grin, swinging his legs off the sofa (to Ignis' unspoken relief). "I know something interesting," he announced. 

"Oh?" 

"It's a secret. But I'll tell you." 

Alarm bells went off in Ignis' head, a veritable cacophony. If Noctis was up to something, it would usually end messily. He sighed, perhaps too dramatically, rising from his desk and rounding the corner to the other side. "What are you up to this time?" he asked warily, with a trace of resignation. 

"Nothing!" Noctis protested loudly. "It's just a little harmless gossip." He stood up, stretching his arms over his head and coming closer. Ignis valiantly kept his eyes locked on Noct's face, struggling not to drop his gaze and watch the hem of that black t-shirt lift at his waist. 

"Harmless gossip? Harmless to whom? It's unkind to tell secrets that aren't your own." He overcompensated in trying to keep his demeanor in the realm of normalcy, and he could feel the sharpness in the strict tone of his own voice. He kept his face very still as Noct approached. He was no closer than he had been a thousand times before, but lately something about the proximity made Ignis feel something quite close to upset in his stomach. And Noct was looking up at him with those big, dreamy, deep blue eyes, the perpetually sleepy expression of them framed by absurdly long eyelashes that fanned dramatically outward when he blinked, slowly. 

"I saw Prompto flirting with Iris," he confided lowly, leaning in. Ignis automatically leaned backward, self preservation instincts kicking in as he was suddenly overwhelmed by the presence in front of him. "Noct," he began, "that's hardly-" 

"Well, it might have been more than flirting," Noct flashed him a sheepish grin, the kind that required him to look down and peer up through those sultry lashes at the same time, his perfect teeth just a hint of white behind his bow lips - Ignis realized what was happening with a jolt. It wasn't just him noticing these things as he pined away in silent fortitude. Noctis was putting moves on him - and very good ones, for a boy who seemed so carelessly inattentive. 

"Noct," he said immediately, as the back of his legs hit the front of his desk and he realized he was trapped. "What game are you playing?" 

"It's not a game," Noctis stepped closer again, stopping short of actually touching him. "It's just something I thought of, and I wanted to see... if you want to, anyway." 

Ignis felt warm all over, a full body flush that he struggled to contain before it rose in his cheeks and betrayed him. He couldn't believe what he was hearing, and the upended, spinning feeling in his stomach wasn't going away. "Highness," he said, softly, uncertainty waging war with want, want waging battle against common sense, and a surging sense of duty complicating all. There was too much to consider so quickly. It was too sudden to contemplate, and he, master strategist, could not all in a moment come to the right conclusion. Protect the prince. Teach the prince. Care for him. Guide him. Instruct him. Safeguard him. 

What do you do to him when he reaches forward and places his hands on your chest and slides them under your lapels and feels your heart racing in your chest? When his mischievous smile curves across his lips and you know that he can eat you alive? Ignis took a shaky breath and lifted his hands to clasp them gently around Noctis' wrists, noting idly how little strength it took to clamp down and stop his hands from moving. 

"This is a very bad idea-" he began, but was cut short when Noctis leaned in further, uncaring about the grip on his wrists and sandwiching their hands between their chests. 

"How could it be? You're my friend," Noctis suggested convincingly in tones that Ignis could not recall ever hearing from his lips before. "My advisor. I'm in desperate need of advice."

"Advice," Ignis parroted back as close to dumbly as he'd ever come. 

"Advice on how to cure this awful boredom, you see." Ignis didn't recall letting go of Noct's hands but they were moving again, pushing back his jacket and plucking at his suspenders. "It could be deadly," Noctis leaned in, his hair brushing against the bottom of Ignis' chin as one surprisingly skilled hand unhooked a button at his collar. "You know people can die of boredom. It happens all the time." Noct's breath was warm on his skin and he pushed aside the stiff fabric of Ignis' collar with a nudge of his nose. Ignis swallowed hard as he felt the prince's lips graze the base of his neck between his collarbones, a shudder working its way through his body. "Highness," he said again, the title an unconscious reflection of defense against an all out assault on his self control. Noct was his friend, and his charge. It was the prince who was unraveling him slowly like a spool of yarn. 

"Should I stop?" Noct whispered into his chest, fingers playing about and buttons melting away under the deftness of his touch. One hand settled on Ignis' belt buckle while the other tugged gently at the neatly tucked shirt. 

Ignis felt that lurching sensation behind his ribs again. He hadn't stood a chance. Noctis was a force of nature; young and headstrong as he was, when he put his mind to something, there was no putting him off of it. He felt weak in the knees, and his arms heavy as lead as he lifted them again, not to restrain the warm body pressing in against him, but instead to rest them, tentatively, on Noct's hips. He titled his head back, slipping away into the sensation as Noct's lips traced a dizzying line up his neck and across to his shoulder. "As- as you will, your highness," he surrendered, a terrifying thrill paralyzing him in place. He felt Noctis smile into his skin, and wondered why he felt like he was falling.


	2. Chapter 2

After that it always started the same - Noctis lifting his head and catching his glance from across a room, a slow and telling smile spreading across his face, just the hint of mischief sparking in his eyes, and Ignis would immediately turn his gaze away. He would withdraw tactfully to his study, to his room, or on the rare occasion when he was feeling exceptionally bold or desperate, to Noct's room. More and more often it was the latter - Ignis wondered if Noct had any idea what he'd done that day when he'd first pushed Ignis against his desk and proceeded to unman him, totally and utterly, the drag of his lips and hands a damning death blow to a resolve barely held together. 

Now, he stared up, breathless and enraptured, unable to look away from the sight before him. Noctis was a vision of perfection, arms outstretched and planted on Ignis' chest, thin muscles straining with effort. More than the sensations of physical ecstasy that Noct drew out of him inch by agonizing inch, Ignis found himself lost in the beauty of his face. His gaze fixed itself on the flush in his cheeks, the eyes pressed so tightly together that his brow furrowed up in concentration. His hair was plastered down around his temples and stuck to his forehead, damp from perspiration, telling signs of the exertion of working himself up and down on Ignis' lap. For his part, Ignis had wrapped his own hands around Noct's waist, gripping so tightly he was uncertain he would not leave a row of bruises, one round mark for every fingertip pressed into the pale skin there. Some days it was easier to reel himself in, to pull back and handle Noct with care, but most days he latched ahold and held on like a drowning man desperate for air. And he was, he was desperate, each day he died a little inside as he watched Noct from afar. He watched the way he walked, the respectful intonation of his voice when he spoke to his father and the way he ducked his head and avoided eye contact with the king. He watched Noct banter with Prompto, the lighthearted pushing and shoving as they play argued, and worst of all were the days when he came by the old training room and caught him mid fight with Gladio. He wondered that he never noticed it before, or if his eyes and ears now deceived him, but the jealousy that surged up in him was almost too much to be born. When Noctis fought Gladio, Ignis could see the sensuality of his movements, and the pants and grunts of effort echoed too familiar to him as he remembered the way Noct tilted his head back just before he reached the height of bliss. 

It was all too much, and he knew it was building to a sharp counterpoint. He could feel the cracks in his armor, his perfect facade crumbling away. He was slipping day by day, and it was only a matter of time before he lost his grip and it all came spilling out in a messy ruin. In some ways it was already too late. Gladio had stopped him earlier that day after Noct had finished training; he had waited until the prince had left to clean himself up, and Ignis was prepared to follow him, before catching him by the arm. Ignis had been startled but managed to keep his impeccable composure as Gladio's huge hand curled around his bicep and kept him from moving away. "Give him a minute," Gladio had said, his gravelly voice belying another purpose. Ignis lifted an eyebrow, certain he could wait out the larger man if he wouldn't come right out with whatever was on his mind. But the challenge proved harder than anticipated, as Gladio loomed in front of him. Ignis remembered the way he couldn't help but stare at the two of them a few minutes earlier as they fought, jealousy coiling inside him like a low burning fire, flaring up in turns as Noct slashed and whirled and frequently fell to the mats pinned by Gladio's huge form. He knew he would be a fool to think that Gladio could somehow have missed that spark of anger in his eyes. The man was incessantly perceptive, and Noct was not such a proficient fighter as to keep Gladio significantly distracted from the obvious tells written all over Ignis' body language as he waited by the door. 

"Whatever it is you're thinking about doing," Gladio said finally, "you need to consider it very carefully." 

For the first time that he could remember, Ignis couldn't bring himself to meet his friend's eyes. Think about it? He couldn't stop thinking about it. It ran through his mind constantly. Each night he woke from fevered dreams of Noctis' stormy blue eyes beckoning him and in daylight he faced the reality of it across meeting tables in full view of dozens of others, if they weren't too blind to see. He only hoped they were too blind to see. 

"I-" Ignis began, pausing to find the right words, "I do what the prince requires of me." The remark came out smoothly, as he'd intended. He was gratified he hadn't lost his wits entirely in the midst of this whole debacle. 

Gladio snorted, Ignis unsurprised to catch the hint of amusement in the noise. "His highness can be demanding." The last word was too heavy with meaning. Ignis placed his hand over Gladio's on his arm and pulled firmly, intending to free himself. Gladio immediately placed his other hand on top, halting him again. Ignis looked up, startled not at the strength of his grip but at the urgency of his intent. 

"Iggy," he said with resolve, his tone shifting to concern, and Ignis noted the use of his nickname, to emphasize his place as Ignis' friend, to show his sincerity. "He's too young to know better. He's testing you." 

Ignis tried to speak but the catch in his throat was too strong. To be told so plainly what he already knew - he found that he had no reply. He felt a shameful guilt that he had not had stronger resolve to resist temptation. Noctis was all of 19 years old, but he had played Ignis like a harp from the start. It wasn't as though he was very much older, he thought as some consolation, but Gladio was more right than he wanted to admit. The difference in upbringing had left Ignis and Noctis miles apart in maturity. 

"This conversation is too late, isn't it?" Gladio's grip tightened suddenly, and Ignis was grateful for the pain that streaked down his arm - grateful at the knowledge that Gladio would turn on him in a minute if required to do so to protect Noctis. 

He found himself still without words. He and Gladio played complimentary roles of two figures in Noct's life who were unyielding to his princely mood swings. He had no explanation for himself, no justification for his actions. When had he become unable to say no to his charge? 

When Noctis had looked up at him so sweetly, his beautiful face all smiles and charm, expression free of the petulant sulk Ignis knew so well. It turned out that all it had taken for Noctis to break him completely was a single instance of very straightforward emotional manipulation. It was almost textbook. And the case could hardly be made that Ignis had been anything but totally willing, head over heels, dizzyingly willing, from the very start. 

"I don't know where to go from here," the confession slipped out, and Gladio could catch the slight waver in his voice that a casual observer would have missed. He felt the grip on his arm loosen as Gladio released him. 

"You'd better figure it out," Gladio said finally and turned to go. He hesitated in the doorway for a moment, back turned, before speaking again. "Ignis... you're not the only one he's testing." 

He had left Ignis standing alone in the training room to contemplate his words. That had been hours earlier, and Ignis was still reeling from the confrontation and unnerved not only by his inability to defend himself, but by Gladio's last words. 

It wasn't that he really supposed that Noctis was seeking out him alone to fulfill his desires, and Gladio clearly hadn't given in, but the thought of Noctis pressing himself in, curving his body against Gladio's huge chest wouldn't leave him. And who else? Prompto, with his childish smile and fluffy halo of soft golden hair? Who else who else who else, the thought ran through his mind again, and he heard Noctis gasp, eyes flying open as Ignis dug his fingers into his hips possessively. "Iggy," he breathed, "you're really with me today."

"I'm always with you," Ignis answered automatically. "Always," and Noctis' eyes fell to half mast again as he smiled, tilting his head back once more, and Ignis' heart ached.


	3. Chapter 3

Noctis was never predictable after they finished, sometimes rushing away, but today he stayed long enough to bury his head in Ignis’ shoulder for a few breathless moments while Ignis lifted his arm to stroke Noct’s hair affectionately, threading his long fingers through the soft strands and rubbing Noct’s head soothingly with the tips. The ministrations paid off as Noct reveled in the attention, rubbing his face against Ignis’ bare skin and humming softly. The sound almost made Ignis pause in his movements as he once again warred with himself in the near silence. They never spoke, after. Noctis would stay a few minutes or he would not stay (Ignis could not determine a pattern), but he would stop briefly in the doorway, one hand on the knob, and look back with a little smile on his way out.

It took Ignis longer than it should have to notice that Noct had not yet left. His hand was still moving absentmindedly as he had been lost in his thoughts, and he grew conscious of the fact that the longest time Noctis had ever stayed prior to that point had been surpassed. As soon as he became aware of the fact, he felt his heart kick up a beat. What did it mean? Was Noctis waiting for him to speak, at last? Did he want - another thought struck him quickly and he leaned to the side just far enough to glimpse Noct’s face. Sleeping. A peculiar emotion ran through him, a throb of pain in his chest as he realized what had happened. When was the last time Noctis had slept beside him? They must have been very young. And they were scarcely alone these days for minutes before Noct was winding himself around Ignis’ body like some kind of angelic incubus. Ignis removed his glasses with the free hand that wasn’t buried in Noct’s hair, setting them on the table by the bed with an undue amount of consideration. His head suddenly hurt sharply, and despite having gotten something he wanted very deeply, he felt perhaps lonelier than he ever had. He took a deep, shaky breath and shut his eyes. Noct's breathing was slow and even on his chest and he was overcome by creeping fatigue. Keeping up with Noct had very quickly become a rather different task than what he'd been accustomed to, and one that taxed him greatly on an emotional level. The exhaustion spreading through his limbs was more than a post coital rush of chemicals - in fact, nothing he did with Noct was in the slightest bit relaxing, it set his nerves on edge and drove him to the brink of distraction. No, this weariness was something else altogether. It was a heartsickness, a burrowing sorrow gnawing at his soul, tearing away at him and devouring him from the inside. He gave into the sensation for just a moment, allowing the briefest lapse in his resolve, and a tremor ran through his frame. He felt hollowed out, a brittle shell, and he clamped down on the pain of it instantly, pushing it down, holding his breath until the smothering, desperate feeling subsided. 

He didn't realize he'd slept until he woke, and upon waking, discovered what had roused him as he saw Noct quietly pulling his t-shirt over his head, pale skin disappearing behind black fabric.

"Leaving so soon?" 

The words slipped out before Ignis could stop them and he was equal parts horror and fascination to hear a response. He'd broken the unspoken rule between them, and Noctis froze at the sound of his voice, hands going still on his belt as he lifted his head slightly, something like fear showing in the whites of his eyes, which were widened in surprise. Ignis refused to look away, drinking in the sight of him caught off guard. Catching him trying to slip away hurt a little, but it wasn't really so different than the way he frequently departed all the times before. And who had really broken the first rule? Ignis, for the audacity of speaking, or Noctis, for the fatal flaw of allowing a moment of tenderness between them and sleeping on his chest? And Ignis realized with a thrill that the incubus who tormented him was gone, it was _Noct_ standing bfore him, Noct who replied. 

"Gladio will be waiting for me," he said a bit lamely, the first to break eye contact as he looked away. 

Ignis spared a glance at the clock on the wall and almost felt like laughing, tamping down the barest bit of jealousy at the sound of Gladio's name. This moment was his. If Gladio had been expecting Noctis, it had surely been hours ago - it was past dinner time.

"Well then," he said lightly, sitting up and lifting his glasses from the bedside table to place them precisely back on his face. "You'd better get to that, hadn't you? He won't like to be kept waiting." 

"Right," Noctis murmured, looking around the room as if forgetting something. 

"Oh don't worry about all this," Ignis offered smoothly, gesturing around with one hand. "I'll take care of all the mess." He always did, but something had shifted between them, and it was as though he'd regained his equilibrium for the first time in weeks, and he felt very keenly that he should not let the moment slip by without taking full advantage. In fact, he was almost euphoric with the sensation, only just realizing how much he'd missed his iron clad control.

He stood up, not bothering to take the sheet with him, and reached for his mobile device from the table. "Shall I tell Gladio you're on your way?" he asked, tilting his head to the side quizzically, and, oh he was pushing his luck, but the sight of the blood rushing from Noct's face was well worth it, and he didn't miss the way Noct's gaze ran up and down his body, either. 

"No!" Noct said with alarm. "I'll find him. I'll- I'll see you later." He moved to the door with near frantic speed and didn't look back this time, the click of the latch echoing just seconds after his words rang out. 

Interesting, Ignis thought, tapping one finger on the underside of his mobile. 

And just like that, the balance of power was shifting. 

 

-

 

Or so he thought. He cleaned Noct's room, cleaned himself up, and finished out the day feeling both accomplished and preoccupied. It was rare that Noct didn't occupy his mind of late, but the afternoon had given him more to consider. It was a week later before he realized that nothing, nothing was ever so straightforward with Noct. Seven straight days, in fact, of a strangely perfectly behaved Noct. By dawn on the fourth day, Ignis was driven mad by the incongruity of his actions compared to his known character and ready to compliment him on his tactics. In a week, he had begun to understand. Gladio had been right - Noctis was testing him - but on a deeper level than a teenager chasing sexual thrills from forbidden places. There was something else at play, and Ignis was almost certain he knew the game. He was equally certain that Noct was far better equipped to play it, and he already had a substantial lead. Ignis was at a significant disadvantage, but he knew now that he could fight, and he wasn't ready to yield the contest. 

He waited. 

It was the biggest asset he had in the game, that Noct always came to him. 

Ignis waited. 

On the morning of the 8th day since he had fled from his own bedroom when faced with an Ignis who was less than paralyzed by his mere presence, Noct made his move. Ignis felt his eyes on him all through breakfast, but he studiously avoided looking directly at his young charge, instead engaging Gladio in a discussion about city politics that he knew was bound to bore Noct to tears. By the end of the meal, he could practically feel the frustration coming off Noct in waves. To his surprise, Noct didn't cave to his temper - much. There was a hint of irritation in his voice as he pushed back his chair, nothing that couldn't be chalked up to having to sit through the conversation he'd just endured, and announced his departure. "I'm going to find Prompto," he said loudly, boots thumping as he left the room. 

"I'll see you in an hour for your studies," Ignis called after him calmly, without looking up from his coffee, using a tone familiar to both, one that brooked no argument. There was a slight break in Noct's stride as he reached the door; he hadn't been expecting the command. When the door shut behind him, Ignis allowed himself a little smile into his cup and finally raised his gaze. 

"I see that's going well," Gladio commented. He sounded amused, to Ignis' relief. But then, he had the feeling that Gladio was usually happy when Noct didn't get his way. As far as Gladio was concerned, serving his prince didn't stretch to indulging him in bad behavior, a standpoint that Ignis both respected and agreed with, from a theoretical standpoint. The practice was much more difficult, as he was coming to understand. 

Ignis raised an eyebrow in response and refilled his cup. "We'll see," he said simply.


	4. Chapter 4

Ignis leaned against the wall just outside his study, arms crossed and mind occupied. To the outward observer, he was the picture of calm, patiently waiting for an errant student. On the inside, he was counting breaths, mind alert, apprehension building. He glanced at his watch. Noctis was 45 seconds late, and he wondered if he would show. It had been a gamble, after all. Perhaps it was for the better if he didn't show. If not, Ignis wouldn't have to face the tempation. Assuming there would be temptation. If the rules had changed, he wasn't entirely certain what to expect. The one thing of which he _was_ certain - if Noctis didn't show, the battle was far from over. No, not battle. He readjusted his thinking. This moment was only one battle in a greater struggle. If Noct didn't show, it was as good as a forfeit of the challenge he'd laid at breakfast. Everything he knew about Noct told him he wouldn't be able to walk away from a challenge. Although, with all fairness, nothing he'd known about Noct before had told him that one day he would be seduced by him with terrifyingly effective expertise. He's not that skilled, Ignis attempted to convince himself. It's you. You're weak to him. He checked his watch again, conflicted. How long should he wait? Even the simplest decisions seemed important, he thought with a twinge of annoyance. How very like Noct to make a situation far more difficult without even trying. No, he reminded himself again. _With_ trying. Whatever was happening between them, he could no longer go on thinking of Noct as a passive, careless participant. He had instigated the affair and continued to lead the way. Ignis' own actions were entirely reactionary. A thought that probably warranted further consideration, he made a mental note, then shelved it as he heard footsteps down the hall. Noctis' dark head of hair was easily recognizable at a distance. Ignis pressed his lips together, displeased. Exactly ten minutes late. Proof positive that Noctis could manage his schedule with impeccable precision - when he wanted to. 

"Late as always," he said in clipped tones as Noct approached, not having to feign his annoyance at all. 

"Sorry specs," Noct replied with the flippant attitude that made Ignis grit his teeth. "Me and Prompto were really busy." 

Busy doing what, Ignis wanted to ask, forcing himself to substitute a reprimand instead. "Prompto and _I_ ," he corrected him, fully aware how snobbish it sounded but pressing on nonetheless. "I thought today we might study outside," he gentled his voice, making the suggestion a peace offering. It certainly wasn't a deliberate ploy to avoid spending a prolonged period of time with Noct with an enclosed space. All right, so it was, but he was wise enough to know that for the time being, keeping himself out of temptation's reach was a better plan than trying to run through it with eyes closed, so to speak. Unfortunately, temptation had other ideas. 

"No," Noct shook his head. "It's hot out today. I'd rather stay in."

Ignis paused. He hadn't come up with a back up plan. The plan was to treat Noct as he always had, reestablishing control through the steady, assuming authority he'd always exercised in the past. Working with Noct indoors didn't mean the plan had to be abandoned in totality, but severely decreased the likelihood of success, in his estimation. However, Noctis hadn't really indicated much option. Over the years, he'd learned to read the boy fairly well. The set of his jaw and command in his voice now told him that Noct was leaning on Princely Authority - capital letters, no disagreement permitted. 

"As your highness commands," he dipped his head briefly in agreement, uncrossed his arms and reached out to open the door. He was almost immediately cognizant of two errors: one, verbally highlighting Noct's technical authority over him, and two, giving Noct an avenue to launch a physical counterattack. Noct did not miss the opportunity - as he stepped past Ignis through the doorway, he tilted his head to the side with a suggestive, triumphant smile and ran his hand down the outstretched arm Ignis was using to hold the door open. 

They'd barely begun and Noctis already had him on the backfoot. It was not ideal. Ignis adjusted his glasses and tried to ignore the lingering sensation left behind on his skin from the light touch, pin pricks running up his arm. He followed Noct into the study, shutting the door behind him and resisting the urge to re-cross his arms, his usual comfortable stance suddenly feeling like a defensive posture into which he wanted to retreat.

He turned around from shutting the door and nearly collided with Noctis, who had taken about three steps into the room and was now standing perilously close to him. He swallowed hard. He supposed it had been a vain hope to think they might resort to any type of verbal back and forth. Noct had to know the effect he had on Ignis. It would have been foolish for him not to use it. 

"You've been avoiding me," Noctis accused, eyes gleaming predatory as he placed one hand flat on Ignis' chest and spread his fingers out to maximize the contact. Ignis' traitorous heart leapt at the touch and his legs went weak as Noct pushed him back into the door. Somewhere in the back of his mind, the more rational part of his mind made note that Noct was using the same strategy as he had the very first time. 

_Attack and overhwhelm._

Sudden attack, before your opponent is prepared, overwhelm before proper defense can be raised. Knowing the strategy, shouldn't he be able to defeat it? he thought wildly, but it wasn't nearly so simple. He focused on Noct's words, which were a terrible misrepresentation of the situation. This was Noct's game, and he hadn't chosen to play it in a week. Hardly Ignis' fault. "I - haven't," he said quietly, staring down at Noct's upturned visage. His favorite sight in all the world, so why did it feel like dying each time? Before he could stop himself, he was reaching out, his hands moving up to cradle Noct's face gently between his hands. "You left," he whispered, and the two words meant so many things. He wanted to kiss him so very badly, but he held back.

An expression Ignis couldn't fully identify ran across Noct's face, a multitude of feelings, beginning with a hint of surprise and ending with what looked like determination. "I'm back," he replied simply, fingers curling around Ignis' shirt and pulling him away from the door. Step by step, Ignis followed him willingly as he walked backward to the center of the room. When Noct pushed him gently on the sofa, he did not resist. The magnetic pull between them was too much to combat. He wanted to speak but could not.

Noctis stepped between his knees, nudging his legs apart. His hands were already moving to unbutton Ignis' shirt and Ignis was having trouble remembering why he had wanted to resist to begin with. If he closed his eyes, he could believe that the slender body settling onto his lap was doing so out of genuine desire, or at the very least not an attempt to break him apart, body and soul. 

"Open your eyes," Noct breathed into the skin of his neck, kissing softly again and again, stimulating the sensitive nerves there. Ignis refused to obey, a flitting frown pulling his eyes even tighter shut. He shook his head almost imperceptibly, one quick jerk back and forth. The warm hands running across his chest and stomach suddenly became cruel, fingernails digging into his sides. 

"Open your eyes," Noct said again, sterner, and Ignis' eyes flew open, accompanied by a gasp, as Noct bit down sharply just above his collarbone. Apparently satisfied at the response, Noct sat back on Ignis' lap near the tops of his knees, wrestling out of his own shirt. There was something unnerving and aggressive in his bearing, a harshness in his touch that Ignis was unaccustomed to. 

"You don't want to watch?" Noctis asked, an edge of steel behind a smile. "You always watch," he murmured, pushing Ignis' shirt off his shoulders. Ignis obliged, twisting left and right in turn to assist him in pulling off one long sleeve and then the other. Wordless, he lifted his arms to slide them around Noct's body, pulling him in close and stroking the soft planes of the back of his shoulders, tracing the outlines of his shoulder blades with his fingertips. 

Noct seemed pleased, arching into the touch. "I thought maybe you didn't want to play." 

Ignis tightened his grip suddenly, grabbing Noct by his upper arms. A spark of anger blazed in his eyes as he looked Noct square in the face. "I don't want to play. I'm not playing with you." He buried one hand in Noct's spiky hair and pulled him forward into a fierce kiss, unsurprised when Noct yielded easily to open his mouth and allow Ignis to taste him fully with lips and tongue for several long moments. When they broke apart, there was a dangerous glint in Noct's eyes, smugness written in the lines of his cheeks. 

"Seems like you're just beginning to play," he taunted. 

The spark of anger in Ignis burst a flame and he pushed Noctis off his lap forcefully. "It's not a game, Noctis!" he said snapped. "This is not a game," he repeated, lowering his voice substantially.

"I'm sure it's quite amusing for you, but people are not your playthings, and you can't-" He broke off, realizing that Noct hadn't moved from where he'd landed, practically thrown on the floor. Head bowed and turned away from Ignis, he remained perfectly still. It was unnerving to Ignis, who knew that even despite everything that had transpired between them, he'd never handled the prince so roughly. 

"Noct," he began, stopping as Noctis turned his head upward, eyes shimmering too brightly. A bolt of crippling guilt tore through him, horror at his outburst of temper. "Your highness," he said softly, kneeling on the ground beside him and reaching out tentatively to place a hand on his shoulder. Noctis flinched away from the touch, twitching his shoulder just out of reach and staring Ignis down, accusatory in silence. 

"Aren't they?" he whispered faintly, finally, and Ignis frowned, confused. 

"Aren't they mine, the people?" Noct was moving again, sinuously rising up on his knees and pushing Ignis back on the floor. "Aren't you mine?" he demanded, not waiting for an answer as his racing hands unbuckled Ignis' belt, flicked the button of his pants free and tugged at the zipper. Ignis had very few seconds to realize the magnitude of his error as Noctis reached under the waistband of his shorts and took him in hand. 

He had erred catastrophically, he knew, because despite the tears that Noctis had pushed back and the lump in his own throat, he was still rock hard under Noctis' touch and holding his breath to keep from begging, begging for forgiveness, begging for more. He was allowed a torturous moment of respite as Noctis' hands disappeared to strip himself down the rest of the way, but Ignis could no more have moved than flown. When the touch returned, it was at a hastier pace, the energy between them accelerating as Noct climbed onto him again, straddling him easily. Ignis' hands found Noct's slim thighs and gripped tightly as Noct positioned himself and worked his way down onto Ignis' cock. 

He prepared before he came, Ignis realized dizzily. The feeling was tight, tighter than usual, but still slick with lubrication. He never even considered that he'd fail, Ignis choked back something too close to a sob as Noctis began to ride him fiercely. 

"Say it," Noctis panted, breathless, and Ignis found his gaze, burning up under the intensity of it. Say what, he wanted to ask, but the words wouldn't come. It was all right, because Noct seemed to know.

"Whose are you?" he demanded, the muscles of his legs flexing under Ignis' hands. 

"Yours," Ignis responded immediately, there was no question. 

"Whose are you?" he asked again, planting his hands on Ignis' shoulders and shoving him into the carpet roughly, the coarse fibers stinging as they scratched and reddened his skin. 

"Yours, yours, Noct," Ignis bit back the 'please' that tried to follow, "Noct, yours!" 

"And who am I?" The light in his eyes was pitiless as he tightened, deliberately, over Ignis' cock. Ignis knew the answer this time. 

"My prince," he whispered, overwhelmed. 

"Say it again," Noct commanded, his face beautiful and cruel. 

"Yours, your highness, yours," _I've never been anything but yours,_ he wanted to plead as he came apart, heart ripped open and raw, pushing his release up into Noct desperately, thrusting inside his future king with abandon. And Noct seemed gratified at last, sighing with exhilaration as he came, virtually untouched, bearing down greedily in answer to the movement of Ignis' hips. 

Noct collapsed forward onto Ignis' chest, and Ignis latched ahold of him needfully, arms wrapped so tightly around his small frame that it might have been painful. Noct made a small noise in his throat, but it wasn't really a protest. The silence was filled with quiet breaths until Noctis pulled away slowly, breaking the spell of intimacy. Ignis released him carefully, reluctantly, and neither spoke as Noctis dressed himself. Ignis sat up slowly, pivoting to lean back against the sofa, and straightened his glasses, the habitual motion only a small comfort. 

If he thought the situation had been difficult before, it paled to what he felt now. What had been relatively straightforward had warped into a situation with which he couldn't begin to know how to cope. He tilted his head back and stared at the ceiling, waiting to see Noctis slip out the door and not wanting to stare as he put himself back together. 

He'd done far more than enough damage for one day, he thought. To himself, certainly, and he could only guess at how much to his prince. 

He became aware that Noctis' movements had stopped and looked up to find himself under curious observation. "Highness," he said softly, both a query and a submission. Noct replied only with a nod, hesitantly reaching out to run his fingers through Ignis' hair, once, softly. As he pulled the hand away, Ignis caught it impulsively, pressing a lingering kiss on the back, wishing he could push all the things he was feeling through that one touch. Noct remained silent for a beat, then cleared his throat. 

"Thank you," he said, voice full of an emotion Ignis could not name, and left the room, not hurriedly, but deliberately. 

Ignis exhaled deeply, unable to move for some time. He was not sure what had just transpired, but he had no doubt that whatever it was, he had lost.


	5. Chapter 5

Contrary to the accusation set against him by Noctis when they'd last seen each other - almost two full days past - Ignis didn't really have the luxury of avoiding his prince.  


Prior to that point, Ignis couldn't remember ever thinking of that as a luxury. In fact, he couldn't remember ever wanting to avoid him at all. It was usually the opposite, Ignis searching the palace from floor to floor until he located his wayward charge. Now, here he sat in outright dereliction of his duties, poring over charts in the library in an attempt to convince himself that he was only in strategic retreat until a solution presented itself and that he wasn't really shirking his duties, as he was attending to needed work. It was work he would normally have done on his own time, in the evenings in his own rooms, but now seemed as good a time as any. He could always stare at the walls in silence during his supposed free time at night. 

He'd been putting in extra work at home for years. He had no idea what he'd do if the work were already done before he retired to his chambers for the night. Life is full of unexpected opportunities, he told himself. You can take up a new hobby. Perhaps gardening, the complimentary skill to cooking.

_You can't garden at night._  


Ignis forced his attention back to the papers on the table in front of him, no longer wishing to dwell on the prospects of the life he was considering. Wasn't it all an overreaction anyway? Noctis would tire of his game soon enough. Ignis simply needed to pull himself together. Resolute. Steadfast. He scolded himself for capitulating to a fit of maudlin and tried to focus on the words and numbers on the page. 

"Ignis?" The query came in tones of hushed surprise, and Ignis looked up at the sound of his name. 

"Prompto," he said warmly. "Quite the surprise seeing you here." He lifted a graceful hand to gesture at the books all around them. "This technology is a bit archaic for you, isn't it?" 

Prompto immediately bloomed pink through his cheeks; the boy's skin was so pale, almost to translucence, that any slight emotional change painted itself painfully visible the moment it ocurred. Ignis offered a reassuring smile. "Come now, I'm only joking. Have a seat." 

Prompto hesitated, apparently questioning if the offer was genuine. "I read," he said quietly. 

Ignis regarded him thoughtfully, regretting the jest. It was too easy to write Prompto off into the same category as Noctis: they had much in common, but they were far from mirror images. 

"I'm not very fast and it's not my favorite or anything," Prompto continued, "but if it's something I like..." he trailed off, holding up the book he'd been half concealing in one hand at his side. The bright yellow bird on the cover was familiar, and Ignis held out a requesting hand. Prompto surrendered it over to him, watching closely as Ignis turned it over, reading the summary, then skimmed through a few pages. The book was not nearly as frivolous as the cover made it appear at first glance. He finally handed it back, a little impressed. "It's certainly not a beginner's guide, is it?" he commented approvingly. "Are you planning on raising chocobos?" 

"Maybe someday," Prompto shrugged. "Hard to do in the city..." 

"Of course," Ignis nodded. "Well. Would you care to join me?" He gestured at the open seat across the table. Now satisfied that the offer was genuine, Prompto nodded. 

"Sure, I don't mind." He pulled the chair out as Ignis picked up his pen to return to his notes. "I was going to go back home if not here anyway, so, y'know." He looked down at the table, gloominess spreading over his face. "Noct is always busy lately, so I've been reading a lot." 

Ignis' pen slipped on the page just as he touched it down, leaving a horizontal mark and ruining the whole line of text. "Ah, the privileges of being a prince," he said evenly, concealing his dismay at the error and pushing back the thing that surged up in him. 

"I guess," Prompto said glumly. "Seems like more than usual these days." He paused. "I think he's got a girlfriend," he blurted out, and Ignis was glad he'd already ruined the line, halting his pen full stop mid-word. 

"Really?" he said, aiming for light curiosity. 

"Ahhhhh, you don't know either?" Prompto sighed. "I thought maybe he was just holding out on me." 

"I'm afraid not," Ignis pushed his glasses up. "He hasn't said a word of it to me." He looked down at the paper, wondering how to salvage the work. 

"Awwww," Prompto sighed again. "I thought you'd know for sure. He always talks to you." 

Not lately, Ignis wanted to say. He set his pen down, choosing his next words carefully. "You know, there are many reasons he could be occupied without having taken a secret lover. There's no reason to believe he's withholding information from you." It was a deception, he knew, but it seemed a kind one. He was more than a little intrigued at the accuracy of Prompto's insight, but his next words illuminated the situation with alarming clarity. 

"Yeah," Prompto said wistfully. "It's just.. a while back he was asking me a bunch of questions about romance, and now I barely see him." He ran a hand through the side of his hair, careful not to disturb the meticulously coiffed upper swoop. "He's really special to me, y'know? I don't - I have't got a lot of friends." 

"Yes," Ignis said quietly, understanding too well. He cleared his throat to speak in a normal tone. "He hasn't been overly forthcoming with me as of late either. I'm sure he'll come around. He's always been this way, since he was a child. His moods come and go." Ignis wondered how much he was reassuring Prompto and how much he was convincing himself, but Prompto's sunny smile was returning, so he supposed he'd done all right. 

"Let's hope they go quickly this time, huh?" Prompto said more cheerfully. 

"Indeed," Ignis murmured, once again turning his attention back to the page in front of him. "Out of curiosity, Prompto," he said casually, offhand, "What did the prince ask you about romance?"

Prompto turning flaming red. "Oh, uh, um, not much, I just, you know, how to make himself more likable, I guess?" 

Ignis raised an eyebrow, not at all sure how to process the information. Noctis, likable? On one hand, Ignis couldn't argue that whatever Prompto had taught Noctis wasn't devastatingly effective, but then on the other hand, Ignis knew precisely and painfully how devoted he already was to Noct, to the point that very little skill would truly have been needed. Additionally, how much thought had Noctis put into this endeavour? Enough that he'd asked for help, uncharacteristically. Ignis was moved, not from the thought that Noctis had made an effort for him - no, he wouldn't flatter himself that he was the sole or even the primary motive for Noct's actions. It was merely the reminder that Noct was so withdrawn, so shy as to be unaware that many people found him quite likable (at least, until he opened his mouth). Whatever Noct was trying to do, he'd brought it to two of his closest friends. 

Oh, Noct. 

Ignis wanted to lay his head down on the desk, filled with regrets and thoughts of how terribly he had handled the situation. He could have done better - he should have. 

"Ignis?" Prompto asked, likely wondering why Ignis had asked a question and ignored the response, and Ignis looked up. 

"It's a formidable task, I'm sure," he quipped, untruthfully. 

Prompto smiled fondly. "It was nice he asked. I didn't mind helping." His smile faded. "Still wish I knew why.." 

"All in due time," Ignis offered encouragingly. Though, actually, not if he had any say in it. Full, or any, disclosure about the situation seemed a monumentally bad idea. 

The younger man nodded, finally looking down at his book. "Well, I hope he makes up his mind soon."

Bafflingly, Ignis was not at all sure he shared the sentiment.


End file.
